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Aegis Cruiser
The Aegis cruiser is the Allied anti-aircraft warship in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. Background A marvel of Allied naval technology, the cruiser is essentially three missile batteries mounted onto a standard cruiser hull, integrated with a sophisticated array of targeting systems, radio-location devices, and other sensors, allowing the Aegis to track, engage and destroy any missile or aircraft in its vicinity. However, the focus on anti-aircraft weaponry has left it vulnerable to sea-based threats, especially Soviet Typhoons and squids. Game Unit The cruiser can only engage air units, including the rockets launched from the V3 Rocket Launcher and Boomer submarine; it cannot attack the nuclear missile from the Nuclear Missile Silo. The Aegis fires faster if the player manually controls it rather than letting it fire automatically. Its missile barrage increases dramatically at Elite status and is capable of completely destroying a group of 3 Kirov (and maybe more) in seconds, making it become the most powerful AA unit in game, especially if it has collected a firepower upgrade crate. It cannot harm ground-based units, or interfere with them in any way other than potentially distracting them from attacking a more valuable target (e.g. the Construction Yard). This makes the Aegis Cruiser a mobile Patriot Missile System, though the cruisers can only be used in the sea and are much stronger than the patriots. Its Soviet counterpart is the Sea Scorpion, a smaller and faster ship with a weaker armor and AA attack, however it costs half the price of an Aegis and can engage sea and ground targets. This anti-air naval vessel is deadly against flying enemies, but can't target foes on the ground. Place it wisely to cover as much airspace as possible. Counter The Aegis cruiser is a natural target to attack first, as clearing them helps pave the way for an air assault. Most aircraft are very vulnerable to Aegis cruisers, destroying this unit with tanks before sending aircraft is recommended. They are easily destroyed by any ground-based troop, as they cannot fight back. It is advisable to keep Kirov Airships away from Aegis cruisers, as they are capable of destroying most Kirovs quickly from a great distance. A great way to overwhelm the Aegis cruiser is using a large group of Rocketeers or Hornets from the Aircraft carrier since the Aegis cruiser can only target one air unit at a time. Ironically, any ship can sink an Aegis Cruiser save from an enemy version of itself, but it is best to use vessels which do not use aircraft as means of attack, as the Aegis cannot defend itself from anything other than air threats. Therefore, they are easy prey for Allied Destroyers and Dolphins, Soviet Typhoons and Giant Squids, and Yuri's Boomers. If necessary, even a small fleet of Soviet Sea Scorpions is enough to sink an undefended Aegis Cruiser if there are no dedicated anti-ship units available. Aftermath It is not known to operate after the events of the Psychic Dominator Disaster. After Cherdenko's to 1927, the Aegis cruiser was erased from time and replaced by the Hydrofoil during War of the Three Powers Assessment Pros * Can solo even a small group of Kirov Airships in a moment when manually controlled. * Most powerful anti-air weapon. * Very powerful when elite. * Basically a mobile Patriot Missile System, only much stronger and does not require power. * Missiles can reach their target even if it's out of range. * Destroys a Harrier in one shot. Cons * Quite expensive ($1200). * Slow. * Vulnerable to all non-aircraft units. * Can severely disrupt air operations if mind-controlled. Selected Quotes Note: If Yuri's Revenge is not installed, this unit will use quotes from the Destroyer. Gallery File:Aegis_Cruiser_in_Action.PNG|Aegis cruiser in three different angles Aegis Voxel Render.jpg|Voxel Model Render File:RA2_Aegis_Cruiser_French_Icons.gif|Icon with French text File:RA2_Aegis_Cruiser_Korea_Icons.gif|Icon with Korean text File:RA2_Aegis_Cruiser_China_Icons.jpeg|Icon with Chinese text File:RA2_Alpha_Aegis_Cruiser_Icons.png|Alpha icon Trivia *A modified stock model of a Nanuchka was used for the alpha icon of Aegis Cruiser. *The Aegis system depicted in Red Alert 2 greatly differs from the real-life Aegis combat system. Firstly, the game's Aegis Cruiser has three huge missile launchers resembling the Patriot missile system over the main deck, wherereas the real-life system launchers are buried under the main deck. Secondly, the game's ship can only engage air targets, while the real-life Aegis can be used to launch missiles at air or surface targets. *The Aegis Cruiser is one of the few units in the game that cannot attack an enemy version of itself. See also *Aegis (Wikipedia), a mythological armor. *Aegis combat system (wikipedia) the real-world shipborne missile system Category:Red Alert 2 Ships